'Yahoodi agent': Shehbaz Sharif slammed by Pakistanis over meeting with Israel-linked Rothschild & Co

A Pakistani columnist said that for PM Shehbaz Sharif ‘begging for funds’ is more important that ‘Philistine ki azadi’

Updated on: Sep 30, 2026, 16:26:04 IST

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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is under fire after posting a picture with a delegation from Rothschild & Co in London on September 29. Some Pakistanis on X have criticised Sharif for meeting executives of the financial firm, whose family has a documented historical connection with Jewish settlements in Palestine before Israel was established in 1948.

Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office posted on X on Tuesday: “Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met delegation of Rothschild & Co headed by Lord Mark Sedwill, Chair of Geostrategic Advisory in London, today.”

The meeting did not involve any member of the Rothschild family. The Pakistani government's official statement said discussions with Rothschild & Co centred on Pakistan's geo-economic priorities and potential advisory collaboration on capital markets and investment strategy.

The Rothschild family has a documented historical connection with Jewish settlement in Palestine, particularly through Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, a member of the Rothschild banking family. Edmond provided substantial financial support to Jewish agricultural settlements in Palestine from the 1880s and later established the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (PICA), says the website of the Israeli parliament Knesset.

The picture of Sharif meeting the delegation, however, was enough to anger some Pakistani citizens on social media.

An X user from Pakistan called Sharif a “Yahoodi agent”, while another wrote: “Curse be upon the Pakistani govt and establishment. As a Pakistani I'm ashamed of this.”

Pakistan does not recognise Israel as a country and has consistently maintained its support for the Palestinian cause. Islamabad has repeatedly stated that it will not recognise Israel unless a just settlement of the Palestine issue, satisfactory to the Palestinian people, is reached.

Pakistani columnist Raja Muneeb said the meeting showed that, for Sharif, “begging for funds” was more important than “freedom of Palestine”, as he sat with “the Jewish family”.

The meeting also comes after Pakistan's defence minister sparked controversy by referring to the sons of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Jemima Goldsmith as Jews. Goldsmith has a Jewish background.

Imran Khan has repeatedly faced criticism from some quarters in Pakistan over allegations of representing the “Jewish lobby”. An X user based in Pakistan wrote: “You people used to say Imran Khan is a Jewish agent, but he turned out to be a true Momen, but in fact you and your handlers are true Jewish agents.”

Ch Ahtsham Mustafa, a member of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said: “Shahbaz Sharif has met with representatives of the notorious Zionist Rothschild family in London. Take a look at some of this family's history so you can understand who is behind the current regime—and why Imran Khan is in prison.”

What is the link between the Rothschild family and Israel?

The Knesset website, the official site of Israel's parliament, describes Baron Edmond James de Rothschild as a public figure known as the “Founding Father of the Yishuv” during the period of the First Aliyah. He was the third son of James Mayer de Rothschild, who headed the French branch of the Rothschild family.

According to the Knesset, Baron de Rothschild sought to remain anonymous in his philanthropic activities and was consequently known for years as “the Known Benefactor”. His relationship with the Zionist movement was complex. He declined to support Theodor (Binyamin Ze'ev) Herzl and disagreed with Hovevei Zion. However, during World War I, he gradually became more closely associated with the Zionist movement, particularly in connection with the Balfour Declaration and the post-war Paris Peace Conference.

In 1923, de Rothschild established the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (PICA) to administer his lands in Eretz Yisrael, appointing his son, James, as its president.

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